Gout – Understanding This Complex Disease

Gout is a very complex disease. It is an inflammation of the joints that is very painful and is caused by defective metabolism of uric acid that results in a lot of uric acids to build up in the tissue. It is the most painful form of arthritis.

Someone suffering from gout would definitely seek medical attention almost immediately due to the extreme pain that is experienced.

It is a disease that is most common in men than in women due to the fact that men tend to have more uric acid in their system.

Its common symptoms are; severe pain in the joints that gradually diminishes if treatment is sought, peeling off of the skin, inflammation, and redness in the joints that are affected, fever, poor flexibility, and purple skin. Some patients may not experience any of the symptoms at all which is very dangerous as it may eventually lead to chronic gout that contributes to acute inflammation.

Development of gout

Gout has four development phases.

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is the first gout stage. It is the period when there are no visible symptoms of gout infection and diagnosis is hard. It can last for a period of thirty years. This condition does not necessarily lead to a person getting gout.

If after this period gout manifestation occurs then the secondary infection happens. This is acute gouty arthritis that is effective when the first symptoms of gout appear. Most symptoms start with experiencing pain at the joints.

Monoarticular gout is when one joint is affected while polyarticular gout affects more than one joint, common in old people. You experience a crushing pain that is very severe and mostly occurs during the night and early in the morning. This pain might even wake you up in the morning. Gout attacks are periodic. These periodic attacks are referred to as intercritical gout.

If left untreated, it may well return in the future as chronic gout. This is a long term effect that now leads to constant low pain and acute inflammation and may end up infection other joints that were previously free of infection like the hips.

Prevention and treatment

You need to identify things that cause gout to manifest in your body.

Diet is very important. Alcoholic drinks are one of the major causes of gout disease and its consumption should be minimized. You can seek help from your doctor on the proper diet. Avoid foods that contain purines. Purines increase uric acid amounts in our bloodstream.

A healthy exercise will always aid you to maintain a healthy body.

Gout treatment is mostly done by the use of drugs. Medicines administered are taken to aid in the prevention of gout appearing again. One of these medicines is febuxostat. This drug works by preventing the formation of uric acid in your system. But this may cause symptoms to manifest on the first days of taking. In order to prevent this, NSAID is taken along febuxostat for three months. The treatment program that you are to be placed in depends on your doctor who will prescribe the most appropriate drugs.

Ensure that you maintain a proper fluid intake by drinking enough water. Water keeps you hydrated and dilutes the uric acid that forms inside your body.

Maintain a healthy diet rich with vitamin C

You might be wondering whether gout is curable. The good thing about gout is that it is one of the curable forms of arthritis.

The major problem is identifying the right cure and keeping a good discipline to achieve the required results. Medication prescribed by your doctor may not be as fast as expected, it takes due time. Also, once on medication, you should avoid gout friendly diets.

Most people hold gout in mystery. With improved research, scientists have demystified gout. The fact is that it affects a lot of people and is both preventable and curable. Seeking appropriate advice from your doctor is beneficial. Don’t ignore that joint pain that offers you discomfort.

Natural preventive methods that have proven to be effective can also be sought. Hydrotherapy, apple cedar vinegar, and more sugar have proved to prevent gout. Research has proven that more sugar intake reduces gout flare-ups.